Empowering you to bank safely and securely
Investment Scams
Learn why you should doubt promises of extraordinary returns.
Investment scams involve fraudsters pretending to represent legitimate businesses or authorities. They lure victims with promises of easy money and guaranteed high returns – often claiming there’s little or no risk.
The goal? To get you to hand over your money or personal details.
General Investment Scams
The Approach:
Make unsolicited approaches
Scammers reach out through social media or messaging apps (e.g., Facebook, WeChat, Telegram, Line), claiming to be stockbrokers, financial advisors, or employees of financial companies.
Promises of low risk, high returns
They lure victims to invest in oversea companies, promising low-risk and high profits.
Direct victims to fake websites and materials
They direct victims to professional-looking websites or resources to make their claims seem legitimate.
Offer bogus investment opportunities
These can include shares, mortgages, real estate, cryptocurrency, forex trading – all promising high returns.
Persistent persuasion
Scammers will contact targets repeatedly, wearing them down until they agree to invest.
The Fraud:
Stealing personal details
They ask for personal information under the guise of completing investment paperwork, then demand money transfers, “admin fees,” or taxes.
Demanding money for fake procedures
Some scammers pretend to be from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and request “deposits” before they can release supposed profits.
Using victims to cover their tracks
They tell victims to transfer money between multiple accounts, claiming it’s for security or because they’re an overseas entity – when it’s really to hide their scam.
Running Ponzi schemes
Scammers may ask victims to invest or download certain apps, promising fast, high returns. To make the scheme look real, they use money from new investors to pay early victims small ‘profits’. These early victims, now convinced it’s legitimate, often encourage friends and family to join. The cycle keeps going — until the scammers run out of new money or new recruits. At that point, they vanish with all the remaining funds. This type of scam is called a Ponzi scheme.
Cryptocurrency Scams
The Approach:
Make unsolicited contact
Scammers reach out through social media or messaging apps, pitching “opportunities” to invest in cryptocurrency.
Broad platform appeal
They flood social media and apps like Telegram with convincing ads and claims of high returns, making themselves look credible and successful.
The Fraud:
Bogus trading platforms
Once a victim engages, scammers steer them to fake online platforms, apps, or websites where they can supposedly trade crypto.
They may even offer to make trades on the victim’s behalf or ask them to send money to a fake exchange or company.
Fake success stories
To push victims to invest more, scammers show fabricated data – like fake profit reports or account balances – often using custom trading tools like MetaTrader.
Vanishing act
Eventually, victims discover they can’t withdraw any money.
Scammers make excuses, delay payouts, block access, or shut down the platform altogether — disappearing with the victims’ funds.
Romance Baiting
The Approach:
Targeting people looking for connection
Some investment scammers take it further by pretending to be a romantic partner.
They create fake dating profiles or reach out through dating sites, apps, or social media.
Moving the conversation off-platform
They quickly push to chat on private messaging apps like WhatsApp or WeChat, claiming it’s for privacy – but really, it’s to make it harder for authorities to trace them.
The Fraud:
Using fake love to set up the scam
Scammers build trust by expressing strong feelings fast and sharing fake personal details.
Once they think they’ve gained the victim’s trust, they pitch an “unmissable” investment opportunity.
Promising false returns
They claim they’ve personally profited and invite the victim to start by transferring small amounts.
They may even send fake quick “returns” to push the victim into investing larger sums.
Disappearing with the money
Once the victim runs out of money or tries to withdraw funds, the scammer cuts off all communication and vanishes with the cash.
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Spot the signs
If something sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.
Any promise of guaranteed returns should immediately raise red flags.
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Be sceptical
Be wary of strangers who contact you out of the blue or pressure you to act fast on their advice or promises of wealth.
Never take investment advice from people you meet on social media or dating apps. Ignore unsolicited offers.
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Seek independent advice
Investment scams can be hard to spot.
Before you invest, get legal or financial advice from licensed professionals – not from the person pitching the deal.
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Do your research
Even if the company seems reputable, have a financial or legal expert review any materials first.
Scammers often impersonate real companies and use polished websites or documents.
If you’re dealing with an overseas or unregulated entity, check if they’re licensed by the relevant authorities.
Search online using the company or individual’s name along with words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam” to see what others say.
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Don’t give in to pressure
Never let anyone rush you into an investment decision.
Take your time to fully understand what you’re investing in – and remember, high returns come with high risk.
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Protect your money
Never transfer money or digital currencies to someone you’ve only met online or into investment opportunities they introduce.
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Protect your details
Don’t share personal details (like passport or contact info) or banking information (like account or credit card numbers) with anyone you don’t know well.